Parvathaneni Upendra, former Union Minister died at 73 after a brief period of illness. The founder member of the Telugu Desam party the departed leader had played a crucial role in national politics along with NT Rama Rao between 1984 to 1992.

FORMER UNION Minister for Information Parvathaneni Upendra died on Monday, November 16, in a private hospital of Hyderabad after a brief period of illness. He was 73 and survived three sons and a daughter. Lagadipati Rajagopal, MP of Vijayawada is his son-in-law.

Upendra was elected to Lok Sabha from Vijayawada on Congress ticket. After the formation of Prajarajyam Party, Upendra joined hands with Chiranjeevi. He was the chairman of political affairs committee of that party. Having worked with Eastern Railways as PRO he spent most of the time in Calcutta.

He was born in 1936, in a tiny village of west Godavari District. As a journalist he edited the Railway magazine 'The Mail'. Being a stratagist, he helped a lot to then NTR and Non-Congress parties.

Surprisingly, he became the Cabinet collegue of Madhu Dandavate in Union Government who served him as PRO when he was the Railway Minister in National Front Government.

The founder member of the Telugu Desam party the departed leader had played a crucial role in national politics along with NT Rama Rao between 1984 to 1992. Forming of National Front was one among his contributions. He worked as its general secretary. Later in the VP Singh government, he served the country as information minister.